Automatic car-coupling.



No. 7077269. Patenieli Au l9, I902.

J.'-M. STANLEY.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

' (Application filed Dec. 31, 1901.

(No Model.)

2 Meaty-Sheet I.

No. 707,269. Patented Aug. l9, I902.

J. M. STANLEY.

AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

A ud'mon filed Dec. 31,- 1901. v (No Model.) 2 $heefs$hoaf 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

JOHN M. STANLEY,OF WAKENDA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO 8 GEORGE E. STANLEY AND JOSEPH G. WVATSON, OF WAKENDA, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 707,269, dated August 19, 1902. Application filed December 31,1901. Serial No. 87,966. (1% model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. STANLEY, a citi-J souri, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Automatic Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an automatic car-coupler, and it consists in a draw-head provided with a lock-knuckle adapted to be thrown open by a spring in a position for being coupled, the said spring being properly housed to prevent it from being clogged and rendered inoperative by dirt, ice, or other matter, a lockingarm secured to said knuckle, a lock-block hinged in said draw-head and operated by a lever, a drop-bar adapted to hold said lockblock up, and a lever adapted to throw said lock-block.

My coupler is so constructed that it automatically and easily locks itself andmaybe easily and readily unlocked either from the side or top of the car, and the lock-block may be also easily and readily thrown either from the side or top of the car. In describing this invention we will consider the end of the coupler as we look at it on the drawings as the front end, the side next to the right-hand side of the sheet thev left-hand side, and the side next the lefthand side of the sheet the right-hand side thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention looking at the right-hand side thereof. Fig. 2 is'av perspective view of my invention looking at the front end and left-hand side thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the coupler on the line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front end view, the knuckle and part'of the" My invention is described as follows: 1 represents lillG'fIOlllIl end of the coach.

2 represents the draw-head, which is in the shape'of a box with the front end open and one side of the top and bottom extending forward forming perforated bearings 3, in which is hinged a knuckle 4. Said knuckle 4 consists of a block having one end 5 rounded and provided with a vertical perforation 6, so that it may fit and work between the bearings 3,

the other end of said block being provided with a slot 7 and vertical perforations 8 to accommodate a neighbor coach provided with a draw-bar or link and pin instead of a coup-. ler to correspond with mine. Said knuckle 4 is hinged in place by a bolt 9. To the free end and to the rear side of the knuckle is rigidly secured a locking-arm 10. This locking-arm 10 is provided with an extension 11, extending from its left edge and enters into a corresponding depression in the inner face and left-hand wall of the draw-head,represented by dotted lines 12 in Figs. 1 and 2.

. This enlargement 11 and depression 12 are designed to give to the said locking-arm greater securitythat is, to keep the knuckle and locking-arm from be pulled out straight to the front, as might be done in case the hinge-bolt 9 should be lost or broken and this enlargement 11 and recess 12 were wanting. The right-hand edge of said locking-arm is provided with a recess 10 The front side of the rear wall of the draw-head is provided with a perforated lug 13,extending forwardly.

The lock-block 14 consists of a heavy piece of metal provided at its rear end with perforated extensions 15, by which it is hinged to the perforated lug 13. of the draw-head. The left side of saidlock-block is provided with a depression 16, in which rests the free end of the locking-arm 10 when the coupler is locked. When so locked, the left-hand edge of said locking-arm rests against the wall 17 of recess'16. The upper wall of the recess 16, however, may be cut entirely away, leaving a thicker wall 17. Running perpen dicularly from the front end and near the.

other on the other side, leaving the slot 18 un-' obstructed, and running horizontally through the front end of the lock-block and crossing the slot 18 is a bolt 20, and secured longitu- Secured to the top face and on both sides IOO dinally and near the center and to the upper face of said lock-block is a keeper 21.

Pivoted in the upper edge of the draw-head is an elbow-lever 22, and extending downwardly and slightly forwardly from said elbow-lever and integral therewith is a U- shaped loop 23, the cross-arm 24 of which extends and works under the keeper 21, and the lever-arm 25 of said elbow-lever extends downwardly and is in such relative position to the U -shaped loop that when the said arm 25 hangs vertically and the lock-block 4 is down said loop inclines forwardly, so that any at tempt to raise the loop causes its lower end to impinge against the front end of the keeper, and thus lock the block and keep it from being lifted. The only way to lift the block is to push said arm 25 to the rear. This will release the block and at the same time raise the lock-block. Thus it will be seen that this lock-block when locked is kept down by this U-shaped loop, and no amount of jarring will throw it up.

The locking-arm 10 is so constructed that it never comes entirely out from the end of the lock-block or from the front end of the draw-head, so that a slight pressure on the knuckle causes the said arm 10 to retreat under the upper wall of the recesses 16 and'allow said lock-block 14 to fall and lock the arm in position.

Hinged in the upper wall of the draw-head and depending therefrom is a small lock-bar 26, having in its rear'face a notch 27, which notch is designed to catch over the bolt 20, which crosses slot 18 in said lock-block, and when said lock-block is raised and said bar is permitted to fall and catch over the rod 20 said lock-block is thus held up until released. It is released by a lever 28, which is pivoted to the under face of the upper wall of the draw-head, the inner end of which works against the rear face of said lock-bar 26, and when the outer end of said lever is pushed back its other end rides against the rear edge of said locking-bar and releases the rod 20 of the lock-block and permits said lockblock to fall. The outer end of said lever 28 is provided with a perforation 29, and in this perforation the hook end of the catch 30 enters and prevents said lever from moving when it is designed that it shall remain stationary.

The right-hand end of the knuckle 4 is provided with a hook 31, and to this hook is secured the front end of the spiral spring 32, its rear end being secured to bolt 33 in the rear end of the draw-head, and on that side of the draw-head is secured a wall 34 to house said spring and to keep it from being rendered inoperative by ice, dirt, or other obstructions.

Secured to the front end of the coach and at the right side of the draw-head is a bearing 35, in which is pivoted a double-elbow lever 36, one of its arms 36 extending forwardly immediately over the lower end of the arm 25 of the elbow-lever 22. The ends of these two arms 25 and 36 are connected together by a toggle lever or arm. The other arm of the elbow-lever extends downwardly and outwardly, so that it may be reached by any person without going in between the rails or coaches. The lever 28 may also extend far enough out for that purpose or may have a seal attachment for operating it.

To uncouple the cars, the mode of operation is as follows: The brakeman at the side or on top of the car, as the case may be, simply produces a backward motion of the leverhandle 25, which raises the lock-block 14 until it engages the lock-bar 26that is, until the notch 27 catches over the rod 20. The locking-arm 10 is then unlocked, and the moment the cars start up the knuckle 4 and the locking-arm 10 swing out and disengage the lock-block 14, leaving the coupler ready to fasten on to the next car. The knuckle 4 may now be shoved back by hand, so as to leave it in position to be bumped without coupling, if desired. To couple the cars, if the locking-arm 10 and the knuckle 4 are already out the cars will couple themselves automatically by simply going together without any hard bumping; butif the lockingarm 10 is back in its bed and locked there it must first be released by the same motion as uncoupling. Thus all the manipulations are performed without going between the rails or between the cars. The lever 28 is never used except to correct an error, as follows: Suppose a brakeman has uncoupled a car which is intended to be coupled. While the train is still standing and the knuckle 4 and locking-arm 10 are still in position, thelever may be operated to disengage the lockingbar 26 from the rod 20, and thus let the locklug-block down and relock the coupler, thus avoiding the necessity of moving up and coupling, and if, the knuckle should have moved forward and the locking-arm 10 have been withdrawn from the depression in the lockblock by means of the spring 32 the operator can easily push them back with one hand before letting the lock-block down.

I beg leave in presenting this application to call attention to the following points: The fact that the locking-arm 10 never passes entirely from under the lock-block nor out of the front end of the draw-head, thus making it easy to couple by the cars simply coming together with a slight bump; that there are no rigid springs on the knuckle, making it hard to manufacture; that the outward motion of the locking-arm 10 and the knuckle 4 is produced by a spring which enables it to be opened without going between the rails or between the cars; that in making preparation to couple with another car the elbow-arm 25, the lever 22, and the U-shaped loop 24,

operating the lock-block 14, all act in unison to hold the lock-block 14 down on the bed or to raise it when required; that the lock-block 26, which holds up the lock-block 14 when ling act has been performed when it should.

not have been.

I desire it distinctly understood that while I have illustrated a spiral spring 32 on the right side of the draw-head I do not confine myself to this particularconstruction of spring. It is sufficient that the knuckle be spring-actuated, and I do not confine myself to the elbow-lever 36 to operate the arm 25 of the elbow-lever 22. This arm 25 may be operated by a lever or other mechanism ex-' tending therefrom to the side of the coach or up to the top thereof, and so with the straight lever 28.

The patentable part of my invention is confined not to the manner of operating the levers so much as to the coupler itself.

Having described nay-invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. An automatic car-coupler, consisting of a draw-head, preferably in the shape of a covered box, with the front end open and having a V-shaped recess in its right-hand wall; a perforated lug extending forwardly from the inner face and rear wall of the draw-head a lock-block hinged to said lug by means of rearwardly-perforated lugs; fsaid lock-block provided in its right and under edge with depressions to receive the locking-arm, and near its left edge with a vertical slot; a bolt passing across said slot; a keeper longitudinally secured to the upper face of said lock-block; a lock-bar provided with a notch and hinged to the upper wall of the draw-head, and adapted to work in said slot and its notch to catch over the bolt crossing said slot; a springactuated knuckle hinged in bearings to the.

front end of the draw-head; a locking-arm secured to the rear face of said knuckle and adapted to pass under said lock-block and into the recesses of the same; a V-shaped extension, extending from the right face of said locking-arm into the V-shaped recess in the right-hand wall of the draw-head; a lever pivoted to the lower face of the top wall of the draw-head and adapted to operate the lockbar; an elbow-lever pivoted near the center of thedraW-head; a U-shaped loop integral with said lever, and extending downwardly and slightly forwardly, and under the said keeper, and adapted to lock said lock-block down, or to raise the same up, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

2. An automatic car-coupler, consisting of a draw-head, preferably in the shape of a box with its front end open; a lock-block'hinged to the rear wall'of said draw-head, and provided in its front end with a vertical'slot; a bolt passing across said slot; a keeper longitudinally secured to the upper face of said lock-block a lock-bar provided with a notch and hinged to the upper wall of the draw-head, and adapted to work in said slot, and catch over said bolt; a spring-actuated knuckle hinged to one side and front end of the drawhead; a locking-arm secured to the rear face of said knuckle, and adapted to pass under said lock-block, and to one side thereof; a 1ever pivoted to the lower face of the top Wall of the draw-head, and adapted to operate the lock-bar; an elbow-lever pivoted near the center of the draw-head; a U-shaped loop integral with said lever, and extending downwardly andslightly forwardly, and under the said keeper, and adapted to lock said block down, or to. raise the same up, substantially as shown and described and-for the purposes set forth.

3. An automatic car-coupler, consisting of a draw-head, preferably in the shape of a box with its front end open,and having a V-shaped recess in its right-hand wall; a lock block hinged to the rear wall of s'aiddraw-head the front end of said lock-block adapted to be raised or lowered, and provided near its front end with a vertical slot; a bolt passing across said slot; a keeper longitudinally secured to the upper face of said lock-block; 1 a depend- 7 ing lock-bar provided with a rear notch and hinged to the upper wall of the draw-head,

and adapted to work in said slot, and its notch to catch over the bolt across the said slot; 21.

knuckle hinged in hearings to one side and the front end of the draw-head; alockingarm secured to the rear face of said knuckle, and to pass under said lock-block, and to one side thereof; a V-shaped extension extending from the right face of the locking-arm, and

into the V-shaped recess in the right-handup; a spring having one end secured to the draw-head, theotherto the knuckle, and adapted to swing the knuckle open; walls housing said spring; a double-elbow lever secured to the front end of the coach,and adapted to operate the lever that operates the lockblock, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set-forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature Witnesses: J. G. WATSON, A. MCBRIDE. 

